Dear Mr. Selig,
I watched with great interest the events of this week, as you and Major League Baseball began dealing with the latest steroid scandal surrounding Biogenesis. Knowing that you were dealing with at least a couple of former league MVPs in Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, I was very curious as to how you would respond.
Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly), you and your office were disappointingly predictable.
Another moderate suspension (65 games, to be exact), then all will be forgiven and Mr. Braun will be free to move on to the next stage of his career. I can't say that I'm surprised, just let down (again). I was not so much disappointed with the length of the suspension, but with you and your office's obvious hypocrisy.
You have reviewed the Pete Rose situation on many an occasion, and have repeatedly upheld his lifetime ban from baseball. We could argue the merits of that decision over and over, and I could actually argue either side of it. I can definitely see the merits of upholding the integrity of baseball by standing firm, and conversely, I can see the benefits of lifting the lifetime ban (since there is no indication that he ever gambled while a player), and allowing him back into baseball, and thus, the Hall of Fame.
It just seems ironic when you speak of the Rose case that the phrase "integrity of the game" spouts out of your mouth.
I contend, Mr. Commissioner, that you and your office have done more to destroy the "integrity of the game" than Mr. Rose's gambling ever did.
Your office, that turned a blind eye for so many years to the obvious steroid use that was going on right under your nose.
Your office, that touted the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa "Race to 61," as they chased Roger Maris' hallowed single-season home run record.
Your office, that bragged about the record crowds showing up at ballparks while these guys were abusing their bodies with steroid use, and you were doing nothing to stop it because the league's coffers were expanding at an alarming rate with record TV contracts.
It is almost laughable to watch you hypocritically chide Pete Rose, while your office acted so selfishly and did irreparable damage to the sport that I love so much. Now, you gladly hand out "punishment" for this violation in terms of 50-game suspensions, 100-game suspensions, and "remainder-of-the-season" suspensions, hoping that people will now see you as "tough on steroid abuse."
What these players are doing, and what your office did for so many years, has done far more damage to the integrity of this great game than Mr. Rose's actions ever did. The difference is, your office never found a way to benefit from Rose's transgressions.
With Great Disappointment,
Keith Smith
Completely agree
ReplyDeleteMr Smith, you are a moron, a holier than thou moron. I don't want to be anonymous so my name Wayne Dale-Johnson
ReplyDeleteSo you take a shot at the guy without even giving any specifics as to WHY you're taking a shot at him to begin with. Makes sense. Lol
DeleteWayne, I too would love to know what part of this makes me a holier-than-thou moron. I would gladly debate you on those points, but you failed to make any.
DeleteIf he doesn't give them a lifetime ban, he better let Rose in the hall
ReplyDeleteIt's not like Selig was the one that banned Rose, so he doesn't have to right a wrong or something there, and I don't see how letting him back in would somehow right anything as far as the steroid era goes. He still gambled, so you would still be allowing someone back in that hurt the integrity of the sport. That would be like cutting your nose off to spite your face meaning.
ReplyDeleteI guess that the point was that lifetime bans should be given out to Braun/A Rod/Other cheats than Rose should be let back in.
DeleteSee my post below. This isn't a "Free Pete Rose" rant, it's a "Your Office's Actions Were Way More Damaging Than Rose's" rant.
DeleteYou dopey article is my point, you expressed an opinion and I disagree, the last time I checked that was OK, you are wrong about everything you said, that doesn't make you a bad person, but what you said, certainly makes you a moron, you are hopelessly wrong and your ridiculously moralistic attitude towards something that you have zero understanding of in any practical way, make you a holier than thou moron, sorry but facts are facts. Put on your dunce cap and go to the other side of the room and hold Chris's hand.
Deletev
Dear Anonymous,
DeleteThe contradictions in your post are laughable. First, you say it is ok for you to have a different opinion, which I totally agree with. Then you start talking about being right and using facts. My opinion is the only one quoting any facts, but opinions in and of themselves can't be right OR wrong. It's why they are called opinions. The difference is, there CAN be informed and uninformed opinions. Mine is the former, yours the latter.
Lol @ you are wrong about everything you said. So I guess Major League Baseball didn't turn a blind eye to steroids all those years, huh? Yet KEITH is the one with "zero understanding" of the topic? That's comical.
DeleteI believe Jim Downey's quote from the movie Billy Madison sums your response up best: "What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
Good day, sir. Lol
"What these players are doing... has done far more damage to the integrity of this great game than Mr. Rose's actions ever did." Couldn't disagree more with that line. You are comparing apples and oranges for one thing, but all steroids do is help players recover from injury. For me, that's a good thing. Pete Rose bet on the outcome of baseball games, and had a conceivable interest in not playing to his full. Whether he did or not can never be proved, but there's no question for me that there's no moral equivalence between recovering from injury and throwing a baseball game. It's all conjecture, I suppose - arguing against myself somewhat.
ReplyDeleteAiden, if you think all steroids do is make you recover from injury faster, you need to do more research. Also, HGH has NO rehabilitative use, only to make the body bigger, stronger, and faster.
Deleteso what!!, is that bad?
DeleteWhen it's a banned substance, your darn right that's bad. You want to argue for legalizing steroids and other PEDs, we can do that. But when you are using a banned substance to gain an advantage, yes, that's a bad thing.
DeleteIt depends what the integrity of the game is. PEDs may affect the outcome of a game but not in the matter of gambling and/or point shaving. Throwing away games DIRECTLY affects the outcome of a game. Sammy Sosa took PEDs and hit 60 homers in a season 3 times. How many times did the Cubs make a playoff appearance during that time? I do agree that Braun's suspension was just a slap on the wrist considering his financial status and the state of the current season that the Brewers are in. But I feel it is a poor analogy to compare to Pete Rose.
ReplyDeleteTerrible comparison. Rose bet against his own team. These guys are just trying to get a leg up on the competition in order to improve their chances of performing well to help their team win games.
ReplyDeleteThere is no evidence at all that Rose bet AGAINST his own team, only that he bet ON his own team. There is also no evidence whatsoever that Rose ever gambled as a player, only as a manager, and he isn't going into the Hall as a manager. But, as I said in the article, I could argue a case for keeping him out. The point of the article, for those of you who seem not to have grasped it, is the hypocrisy of the commissioner's office that Rose's transgressios were somehow worse for baseball's integrity than Rose's, and in my opinion, what Selig and his band of idiots did by turning a blind eye until Canseco exposed the degree to which steroids were being used, and Congress became involved. Now Selig would have you believe he and his office are invoking a "no-tolerance" policy. I contend they are only doing it because they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar. This article isn't a "Free Pete Rose" rant. It's a "You Damaged this game more than Rose" rant. And to Aiden, who thinks all steroids does is help you recover from injury, you need to do a little more research!
ReplyDeleteThat should say "Rose's transgressions were somehow worse than the steroid users" and then further down should say "and Congress became involved, it's way worse."
DeleteTyping on my phone. Sorry.
Looks like nearly everyone that commented missed the entire point of the post. It's about double standards as far as the integrity of the sport goes and the hypocrites running the show. That's what I took from it anyway. I enjoyed it Keith.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, finally...the voice of reason!!!!
DeleteGreat post and I agree. If they're going to punish guys for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the game of baseball, they need to be consistent. The roids use is much worse than the betting in my opinion. Further to what Keith said, not only is there no evidence he EVER bet against his team, there is substantial evidence and it is a very popular school of thought that maybe all mr rose did was bet FOR his team. That shows confidence to me. While what he did was wrong, again as Keith (who apparently is wrong on everything) said he deserves to be in the hall as a player, as the hit king, which was before he was doing any sort of gambling on the game. Life time bans or completely allow all banned substances. As I see it, those are your two options.
ReplyDelete